Ok, now this was a little idea i've having for a while now and I'm glad I'm finally able to share it with you all. Thank you so much to   kartos / Twitter for the fantastic visual aid. Love the design you conjured for both his forms. 💖

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An ocean of fire and blood. The agonizing screams of many people followed by otherworldly shrieks; that's all he can remember before everything turns black. He has seen this image before. Yes, he has been reliving the same scene over and over for the past twenty years. But it's not as if this was just a memory of that horrible day when it all started; it's just the same outcome for every battle he has fought alongside his brothers and comrades that keeps reminding him of what he couldn't protect.

Knight: “Mathias! Mathias!! Come quick boy, he's waking up.”

Mathias?.... Yes, he remembered that name; that was the name of one of the healers from the Liberation Army which he… commanded? Everything was so confusing, his head felt like it was about to split in half.

Mathias: “Captain! Captain Hakon! Thank heavens. Please try not to move too much or you'll end up opening up your wound again.”

Hakon: “How's everyone?…”

Mathias: “Don't worry Captain, we all made it. Barely, but we managed. We were all more worried about you. It's been a week since the attack. The poison in the arrow did a number on you, but as expected, we knew you'd pull through.”

Feeling the searing pain on the left side of his shoulder, he remembered what had happened. An ambush by an enemy kingdom's army on their way to the coast. He still remembers the blackened arrow aiming for his heart piercing his armor. Had he been in his prime, he could've avoided the attack completely, but already in his fifties, his reflexes weren't as sharp as before. He remembered falling from his horse and hitting his head hard on the ground, flashes of red and fire started engulfing his vision before everything went black. So disgraceful, to think he almost fell right before even starting his journey…! As best as he could, he tried to sit up. Alarming the young man next to him.

Mathias: “Captain, wait, your wound!”

Hakon: <cough> “Worry not about me boy, the sword, where is it?”

Mathias: “Don't worry Captain, it's right here, see!”

Showing him an ornate scabbard holding a somewhat rustic silver sword on a nearby chair, Mathias quickly put the captain’s worries aside. Helping him lay down, Mathias quickly pointed out.

Mathias: “We need you both, If we want to save the continent from that wretched fiend. So please captain, you gotta rest and recover. After all, you're the one who's supposed to deliver the sacred sword to the rightful heir to the throne.”

Hakon knew this, that's why he wanted to make sure the sword was still in his possession after the attack. Having calmed down, Hakon laid down once more, the sudden movement had made him dizzy, his body was still dealing with some of the poison. They would be spending another three weeks at sea, and in the meantime he would have to rest. He would need his strength for the dangers to come once they reached the new continent.



While asleep, Hakon dreamt of the past. As the champion of The Kingdom of Lussene, he was highly respected by everyone. The king and the royal family were no exceptions. King Arvid put his utmost trust in him and treated him as confidant and good friend. Queen Olga hated the fact that her sons wanted to become knights and defend their kingdom, the thought of them heading into battle was too much for her but knowing that Hakon was.the one training them put her worries at ease.

It was a brisk spring morning when the invasion began. Hakon was overseeing a mock duel between the two eldest princes. Prince Erico and Prince Leif. At twenty-one, Prince Erico had already been on quite a few quests on his own and he had the prospect of becoming a great ruler like his father. While two years younger than his elder brother, Prince Leif’s skill with the sword was almost if not even greater than his brother's. His eagerness to prove so was the reason why he had requested to duel his brother in the courtyard and show him off. But despite Prince Leif's early enthusiasm, Prince Erico’s experience ended up giving him the edge needed to win. Never the sore loser, Prince Leif soon congratulated his brother and proceeded to fawn around him asking him for another round. Hakon was very proud of the young men they were turning out to be. He was about to comment on both of their performances when the queen appeared in the courtyard. She was looking for Prince Alford, the youngest at seventeen. Unlike his two elder brothers, Alford had been born with a frailer physique, prone to get sick easily and couldn't engage in arduous physical activities for too long. The Queen was always looking out for him to make sure he was ok, and worried whenever she couldn't find him right away; immediately requesting the help of Hakon and her two sons to find him. But when Prince Leif was mentioning he saw him heading to see Zamir, the court magician, storm clouds suddenly engulfed the bright skies, casting the realm in darkness.

Hakon didn't believe in the supernatural; magic had never been something he had to worry about whenever he was on the battlefield, just human weapons. So maybe that was the reason why he didn't believe in Zamir’s magic. Calling it parlor tricks to amuse the masses, it was a shame that the royal family had fallen for such trickery… But he now wished he had believed back then, maybe he would've reacted faster. Numerous black lightning bolts struck the palace but hit an invisible dome covering the entire building. The sound they made, and the force of the impact made everyone fall to the ground. Before Hakon could help the queen to her feet, a huge thunderous explosion occurred. The black lightning had coalesced into a vortex that struck the East tower, where Lord Zamir's workshop was located. The structure fell to the ground engulfed in black flames. Soon, the sound of shattering glass could echo across the place, and Hakon instincts told him somehow that they had become fully exposed. The Queen escaped his grasp while screaming hysterically for her younger son as she ran towards the flaming debris. Hakon yelled for her to come back, but before he could reach her a black lightning bolt struck her Majesty in front of him, sending him flying various meters away. With his eardrums ruptured, and unfocused version, all he could do was stagger to his feet. Watching how Erico held down Leif as to stop him from running towards her mother's calcined corpse.

Hakon was horrified, but he knew he needed to take the princes to a safer location, but not even in his most dreadful nightmares was he prepared for what happened next. The corpse of the queen started to convulse violently, as pitch black, tart like appendages came bursting out of it. They soon enlarged, growing tremendous musculature in a matter of minutes. For Hakon, it resembled a one of those “gorillas” he one saw in one of Lord Zamir's books but bigger and with pieces of the Queen still dangling from it, slowly being absorbed into its bubbly mass. The neck elongated like that of a horse and soon the “face” was visible. The Queen's skull served as a morbid mask to the elongated muzzle with numerous rows of sharp teeth. But the time to assess its physique was over the moment it lunged towards the princes like a predator about to catch its prey. Hakon rushed to their aid as soon as possible but a shriek coming from his left side alerted him of the presence of another one of those beasts also rushing towards the princes. He wouldn't make it on time.

Prince Erico valianty stood his ground against the beasts trying to save his brother who was too shocked to do anything, but he didn't last more than mere minutes before his body was crushed into a pulp. As soon as blood was spilled, the beasts immediately went into a frenzy and started feeding on the prince's mangled corpse. More soldiers came to the courtyard to fight off the things that had appeared all over the royal city where lightning struck. Without time for mourning, Hakon took this as an opportunity to get Prince Leif out of the way who had gone into a catatonic state and couldn't move anymore. Once he knew the guards and servants took him through the escape tunnels he made his way to the throne room to take the king to safety, but he was too late. It was sudden, a flash and deafening sound, then the whole structure came crumbling down. Hakon managed to escape the rubble but was shocked when instead of a large fancy corridor, he started outside. Half of the castle was gone, a large crater remained where the throne room once was. The king and his royal guard were gone.

The following months of the attack were nothing but hell on earth. Hakon then found out that they weren't the only kingdom attacked. All over the continent, more fell to the hordes of nightmarish creatures while a hellish structure rose in the middle of the land spawning more creatures that would keep with their relentless attack until at one point they stopped all together. The creatures all conglomerated around the weird monolith that kept on growing bigger; spewing a miasma that would cover the surrounding land, killing all life around it, and its area kept on growing bigger with each year. The sky was always covered in dark clouds from which foul rain and deadly lighting would originate. The eldritch beings “safeguarding” this structure that now looked oval in shape went out to hunt for prey often, endangering what the population and little remained of their cattle and other wildlife. With the sun covered, plants and crops started dying. Something needed to be done and quickly. Alliances were formed between what remained of the kingdoms and the Liberation Army was formed.

Twenty years of battle had passed, and the situation in the Iron Continent got worse. By now they all had figured out that the large monolith was in fact an egg, and the more it grew, the more powerful it's guardians became. It had already driven all the kingdoms to the continent’s borders. This action created conflict between the delicate balance of power inside the Liberation Army. Kingdoms started fighting for territory and this escalated quickly. One third of the army was one within a week because of it, and the other kingdoms started defecting so they could safeguard their own territories from the other power-hungry rulers. Prince Leif, who had become king after what happened to his family had become a recluse inside his own chambers, the traumatizing events had made him afraid of even his own shadow. With the situation as it was, Hakon feared that some of the King's own subjects would try to get rid of him since most of them were displaced at his cowardly behavior, some even calling Hakon the real king since he had led them ever since the first attack. King Leif started to become paranoid, after a foiled assassination attempt occurred in the middle of the day.

By the time Hakon went to check upon him, he was shocked to see that King Leif had killed his own guards out of fear of them betraying him. Hakon tried to reason with him, even after Leif spewed vile remarks about him not saving his family and went as far as to accuse him that this was all his doing. Hakon was heartbroken, but still wanted to save him from himself. He easily disarmed him but didn't expect Leif to carry a hidden dagger with him, much less to end his own life with it leaving everyone in the room shocked. News of King Leif's death spread fast, and within less than a month two armies of neighboring kingdoms were making their way to take over their territory. Everything was crumbling beneath Hakon’s feet, the citizens were in disarray, his soldiers were deserting him. And somehow he was still expected to lead them.

After a very stressful meeting with his war council, he finally had time to mourn the death of King Leif. They couldn't build him a proper stone monument for a king, so his remains were buried in a commun grave just a little further apart from the many other graves of soldiers and citizens who had lost their life during the dark reign. The snapping of a twig had alerted him to another one’s presence. Brandishing his sword, he demanded them to show their faces. It turned out to be Gunne, once the court jester, these rough times had turned him into another soldier; something was different about him though once Hakon noticed the vacant eyes and a box wrapped in cloth.

Gunne: “I wish I could say good day to you Sir Hakon, but I don't know if that should be proper considering your current circumstances…”

Hakon: “Speak Gunne, I don't have all day.”

Gunne: “Even after all these years, you're as dashing as before; and you still keep that cut and dried attitude. Splendid! I have to admit I miss that. Always so serious, well, except when we were laying next to our king back in his chambers. I remember you always looking at him as if you were a lost puppy.”

Hakon quickly slammed Gunne against a nearby tree and pointed his sword at him.

Hakon: “I have no clue of what you're saying, jester, but if you keep talking nonsense, your neck will soon be detached from your shoulders!”

Gunne: “There's no need to be so aggressive after hearing the truth.”

Gunne touched the blade and it soon turned into shimmering golden particles, which shocked the warrior.

Hakon: “H-How!?...”

Gunne: <chuckle> “Hello old friend, it is I, Zamir. At your service!”



He couldn't believe it at first, but it was indeed Zamir speaking through Gunne’s body; only he could speak so brazenly about they're triad affair with King Arvid. But the court magician had more to say aside from inane banter. Once Hakon gathered his most trusted allies per Zamir's request, the magician proceeded to inform them of particularly important revelations and to answer their questions. First, he explained he had died during the day of the first attack, and that his soul went into hiding inside the jester's body waiting for an especially important moment in time where his knowledge would be needed. Second, the important moment he was speaking of was the appearance of their savior, the one that would come and vanquish the evil force threatening the continent and unify all the kingdoms again. When he was asked if he knew the identity of their liberator, with a knowing smirk, he shocked everyone in the room once he mentioned that it was none other than Prince Alford. He was alive and it was a moment for him to fulfill his role in the battle to come.

Hakon was speechless. After all this time, he thought the royal family had been annihilated and that he couldn't fulfill his role as their protector, putting a severe burden on him which was the reason why he did so much for the Liberation Army as their leader, as if trying to wash away the shame he felt for not fulfilling his role. But now that he knew Prince Alford was alive, he felt like he needed to be at his side. It wouldn't be that easy though, he had many responsibilities as a leader. With an upcoming battle, he just couldn't up and abandoned his role now of all times. But as if reading his mind,

Gunne(Zamir): “I know how you're feeling my dear friend, but allow me to give some context as to why you need to be the one to go fetch our next king.”

Hakon stayed quiet while he listened to Zamir's story. Many years ago, before he set foot on the Iron Continent, he received a prophecy showing him an ancient evil would reemerge in this land and wipe out all life from it. And it wouldn't stop there, it would soon spread to the other continents like wildfire. There was hope though. The prophecy also spoke of the warrior from a ruined kingdom, whose gigas’ blood would allow him to wield the first king’s sword to lead the people to freedom and unity. The mage’s soul confirmed the legend surrounding the royal family’s lineage to be true. Hakon and his followers believed Zamir's story. The word “Gigas'' had brought memories of the legend surrounding the Kingdom of Lussene. It was said that a giant from the Silver Continent who got lost during his sea voyage ended up finding a new continent devoid of magic, The Iron Continent. Unable to return. Him and his crew ventured to the mysterious land. He founded the kingdom and shaped its surrounding land with his massive body. It was also the reason why the descendants of the royal family were known to be among the tallest and strongest people in the kingdom. King Arvid had indeed inherited his ancestors blood, along with his sons, well most of them… Alford seemed to be the exception.

Continuing with his explanation, Zamir said once he became His Majesty's court magician, he started investigating the history of the kingdom to gain clarity about its past. Everything was true. A giant warrior and his fleet of ships arrived on the Iron Continent to stop an ancient evil. Sensing its impending doom, this being went dormant before it could be vanquished. The giant and his army decided to stay and wait until the evil awoke from its slumber, once more. The years passed and factions inside the giant’s army started branching out; some wanted to explore the rest of the continent while others wanted power of their own. And so, territories were established that paved ways to new kingdoms. With the passing of the years, everyone forgot about what their purpose was, and they kept on living their lives and ruling their lands while evil slumbered beneath their feet. When the giant knew he was about to die without having fulfilled his role, he put his sacred sword in a safe location, right under the throne room. When the throne room was destroyed, Zamir possessed Gunne and looked for the relic underneath the wreckage until he found it.

The magician showed them the sheathed sword wrapped in old cloth. It looked so… plain. He handed the sword to Hakon, who he easily lifted with one arm. But the moment he tried to unsheathe it, he found himself struggling, veins appearing on his forehead as his muscles bulged from the strain of pulling the hilt of the sword away from the scabbard. Another knight decided to help, but the moment he tried pulling from one end, he found himself unable to lift it at his end at all. Curious, Hakon let go of the hilt and the knight was soon pulled towards the floor by the falling sword still in his grasp, screaming in pain as his fingers got crushed under its seemingly colossal weight. Hakon quickly grabbed the sword, looking at the deep cracks it had left on the ground while he looked at the swollen, and broken hands of his companion. Gunne (Zamir) approached the hurt man, and quickly healed his injuries.

Gunne (Zamir): “Only those utterly devoted to the land’s well being and to the King can hold this sword. And this is why, you my friend, have to be the one to deliver the sword to Prince Alford.”



Hakon: “Zamir, you foul wizard…”

The knight held the sword in his hands, while calling out the trickery of his companion. The wizard had enchanted the sword to make it seem that he was the only one that could carry it, the fact was that it didn't matter who it was, the sword could've been delivered by anyone. Since Zamir sensed Hakon's reluctance to leave his army behind in the brink of a war, he used this ploy to force the knight into action. It worked. Besides, his people wouldn't be without protection. According to Zamir, he was more powerful now dead than alive, perhaps it had something to do with his fay blood. Regardless, he was able to form a massive barrier around the territory belonging to the Kingdom of Lussene. The barrier would be strong enough to defend them until Hakon and his group came back. What really concerned him was the other info Zamir had given him in secrecy. The real reason he needed to be the one to find Alford was because Zamir had casted a memory concealment spell on the prince the day of the attack before sending him through a portal towards his destination, and the only way to dispel it was for the prince to see someone that meant a lot to him.

During his time at the palace, he remembered the princes getting attached to him since they were little, but Prince Alford seemed to be the one who always looked forward to spending time with him the most. Since he couldn't train like his brothers, he was constantly spending his time reading. Hakon would ask him about what he read recently, and Alford would burst with joy while telling him all about it. But as soon as the prince turned thirteen, things changed. Alford became elusive and was clearly now hiding away from him. It puzzled both Hakon and his family. Eventually, the prince started treating him with indifference while being kind to everyone else around him. This behavior lasted until the last time he saw him, so for Zamir to assume that he held an important place inside Prince Alford’s heart was either a misguided assumption or another one of his pranks. Regardless, he felt anxious about seeing him again. He wondered what kind of man he had turned out to be after all this time.



It was almost the end of the last week of their sea voyage, Hakon had gone down to his cabin to rest after a training session with his men. He was already in peak condition and tried to keep himself nimble before arriving at the Silver Continent. Who knew what they would encounter there? The Silver Continent was a land of magic, where fantastic creatures and monsters lived. A few humans lived alongside humanoid animals and fay folk, and while that might've been a reason not to be alarmed; Hakon didn't know how they would react to humans from another continent. Zamir mentioned he had sent the prince to one of the most secure locations in the land, but one that was also relatively close. The Steam Citadel. Located on a large inactive volcano on an island near the Cost of Sjoran. It was inhabited by dwarven men who had secluded themselves from the world to dedicate their sole attention to hone their skills as blacksmiths.

The dangerous rock formations, the wild currents; and on top of that, the dense fog, made it impossible for their large ship to get near the island. Picking up a small group of his men, Hakon took a small boat and headed for the island's shore. As soon as they stepped on the coast, Hakon felt uneasy. The lack of visibility and the uneven ground made it hard to find a path; not to mention the need to be on the lookout for geysers spewing seawater at them from below. Mathias was on the far back of the group when he suddenly felt a strong force pulling from the waist into the dense fog. He managed to let out a yelp for help. Hakon suddenly gave the signal to stop his party. They weren't alone anymore. Suddenly, what looked like a wild beast but much wider came rushing from the fog and tackled two of Hakon’s men, taking them back into the white haze with it. The two that remained put their backs against each other, unsheathing their swords, but it didn't help them much when another one of those beasts came rushing from the side. Hakon managed to get one of them out of the way while, but before he could ask his last man if he was injured, he saw the hook attached to the straps of his armor and wasn't strong enough to keep him from getting pulled into the unknown like the rest of his party.

Hakon was alone now and in the open, surrounded by nothing but white mist and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the explosions of water coming from the blowholes around him. It was brief, but Hakon had managed to see beneath the “pelt” covering the beast; and without a doubt, he saw wide back muscles. It was the dwarfs! But why were they attacking them? Zamir had supposedly sent a message informing them of their arrival and its purpose. The older knight demanded an explanation and asked for his men to be returned to him unharmed. A short, but wide figure emerged from the mist. Not taller than Hakon’s chest, but compensated it’s lack of height with how muscular it was; twice the width of Hakon in fact, and he was considered among one of the largest knights in the Kingdom of Lussene.

The sun rays started piercing through the mist and his opponent ditched his cloak. Hakon was fully able to see his opponent's face. He seemed older than him and that said a lot. The war paint on his menacing gaze made him look more threatening. The thick braided beard that traveled all the way down to his waist, once fiery red, now turning gray due to the passage of time. It gave him the typical appearance of the dwarfs he saw before. The image veered quite a bit once he saw the boulder shoulders and the massive arms. The meaty chest that peeked from beneath his beard while he surrounded him was mesmerizing him. Hakon knew what he liked, but chastised himself for leering at his opponent the way he was. He had to focus. At the end of his thick forearms, big hands carried a hammer of a baffling size. Hakon had the feeling that despite its cumbersome size, his opponent could wield it with ease. Not long before he thought about that, he saw him charging at him. The dwarf let out a powerful war cry before swinging his hammer against him. Hakon moved out of the way, watching how the large rock behind him was easily crushed into rubble. His shield wasn't going to withstand a hit like that. He didn't have much time to think about his strategy when the large hammer came swinging down at him again. Despite the size of his muscles, the dwarf was more agile than he thought.

Hakon didn't wanna draw blood, despite the animosity of the encounter, he felt there was a hidden reason for it. Looking at the cracked ground while hearing the explosions of water going off gave him an idea. Looking around for the perfect area, he kept on avoiding the hammer swings. They had turned wilder and more erratic, his opponent had become irritated with his running around instead of fighting back, just as Hakon had expected. Now, with his back against the only blowhole still open, since the others had their exits blocked due to the hammer strikes, Hakon just needed to wait for the right timing. Stalling for time, he asked his opponent once more why he was doing this. Hakon said they only came here to collect someone.

Dwarf: “I know. And there's no way I'm letting you tear our family apart!”

Surprised by having received an answer, but more so by what the words implied, Hakon almost forgets about his plan. Hearing the crashing waves, he managed to evade the mighty hammer at the last second before it hit the blowhole. A huge explosion of water came bursting out of the exit due to the extra pressure, sending the hulking dwarf flying away.

Voices: “FATHER!!”

Hakon was surprised to hear a couple of voices calling out to the dwarf that fell with a heavy thud into nearby rubble. With the mist dispersing, Hakon could see their men chained to the rocks, their mouths gagged with leather straps. Turning his back to release them, he suddenly raised up his shield and turned just in time to block the flying hammer thrown at him, which still knocked him off balance. With another hammer in his hand, an equally muscular, perhaps slightly bigger, and younger-looking dwarf marched his way towards him with the full intention of finishing the duel. On the side, Hakon could see an even younger dwarf, basing himself on the color and length of their beards, taking care of what Hakon assumed was their father. Picking up his sword, the captain knew he’d have to use force to end this quickly. But right about when both were about to engage in combat, a commanding voice told them to stop.

Everyone looked in the direction where the voice came from. Two more wide and muscular dwarfs showed up as the mist fully dispersed. The older one went straight to the father and the son while the younger positioned between Hakon and his opponent. Introducing himself as Jun to the knight, he then turned to face the disgruntled dwarf.

Jun: “That's enough Finnr, you need to stop. The Forge Elders have deemed this battle finished, and the outsider to be the victor.”

Finnr yelled in protest as Jun got closer to him, and surprised Hakon when the burly dwarf holded the other one still shaking with anger as a tear rolled down his cheek. With their foreheads touching, Hakon got the sense he was watching a very intimate scene between two lovers, bringing back memories of him and King Cassius. But even Hakon didn't expect the sudden punch Jun gave Finnr. The burly dwarfs took the punch to the face and barely flinched. While Mathias, still chained with the others, thought a punch like that could've broken his jaw easily.

Finnr: “H-Hey! What gives?!”

Jun: “That's for breaking your promise AND for taking my stuff without my permission!”

The two started bickering with each other to the point where it looked as if they were an old married couple. A dumbfounded Hakon kept on staring until he noticed the elder dwarf approaching. With a hearty laugh, he introduced himself as Ameqran.

Ameqran: “Sorry for the turbulent welcoming friend from afar. We've been waiting for you. Let us free your men and head back to the citadel, I'm sure you are tired of being surrounded by nothing but water by now.”



It took them almost the rest of the day, the sun was already setting by the time they reached the entrance of the large citadel. It was indeed a sight to behold, seeing such an imposing and strong looking building on the side of a massive volcano was something Hakon and his men rarely saw at home. Mathias was unable to hide his excitement, and looking at the rest of his men, Hakon could tell the same was happening to the rest of his men. They were received by a big group. It was at this point that all the information Ameqran had given to him finally sink in. The Silver Continent is massive, and it is the home for many different magical creatures, all with their own backgrounds and cultures. There's a large variety of dwarven tribes, clans and cities. It is rare to see dwarven from different clans interact with each other, but the Steam Citadel was different. This place harbored all those who felt they didn't fit with their own. Whether it was because of their fixation with their work, or the way they loved their fellow brothers. Here in the citadel, no one judged anyone for the way they expressed themselves. Hakon looked at both Jun and Finnr, married to each other three winters ago. And so were many of the men here, some even had more than just one husband. Hakon couldn't stop feeling a little jealous of the openness in which they expressed themselves.

Finnr gave a parting kiss to Jun before joining his brother Niall, and their father Padharaic while they were escorted to the silent tower; a cell of sorts where they would wait for the verdict of The Forge Elders. According to Ameqran, Padharaic had taken in an amnesiac Prince Alford once he showed up. Most wanted to send the human boy to the human city of Landdor, but Padharaic had recently lost a son and was adamant to let him go. The man practically became his father figure for the last twenty years. Once he found out he was a prince from another kingdom and that he was soon to be sent back to his former land to save it from an impending doom, Padharaic and his sons, who had come to see the prince as their own brother, fiercely objected the idea of sending their family to get killed on an unknown land. After knowing this, Hakon felt the need to speak up on behalf of Padharaic, hoping to at least lessen his punishment. Ameqran just laughed and told him not to worry. The elders would probably just give him an earful and make them clean the sewers for a couple weeks or so. The only punishment Padharaic and his boys would be receiving is being locked there unable to release their pent-up energy, it's going to be quite the torture on them and their bodies... Hakon noticed the aura around Ameqran changed, a hungry look in his eyes betrayed that friendly demeanor from before. Ameqran regained his composure and told Hakon to follow him, he would guide him to where the prince currently was.

As soon as the doors opened, a tremendous heatwave almost knocked out Hakon and his men. Ameqran just laughed and told them this was nothing, it would probably get hotter for them the deeper they went in. He proceeded to encourage Hakon and his men to ditch the armor, they would probably be less prone to fainting. Going deeper into the citadel, Hakon could see why the busy dwarfs they saw everywhere around them barely covered themselves, the inside felt like an inferno. The more they kept on walking, the more Hakon felt himself the sweat sliding down his hard chest. Ameqran glanced at his direction in appreciation, completing the body of the captain. He didn't know why, maybe it was the heat playing tricks on him, but he found himself flexing a little and returning the compliment back at the smiling dwarf. Ameqran grinned with satisfaction and flexed his large back muscles, twice the width of a strong human. Hakon wanted to touch them really badly, but Mathias beat him to it, soon after the other four knights followed suit in their worship. Hakon felt something was weird, the other dwarves were staring at them with knowing smiles on their faces, some pointing and elbowing others so they could watch how the group of humans worshipped one of their own. Some of them started flexing for the captain, at this point Hakon felt the need to leave, and requested to see Alford immediately. Ameqran voiced his disappointment at Hakon for not wanting to join in the fun, but figured he was probably more worried about the prince, so he stopped flexing and continued guiding them through the place.

The deeper they went in, the more Hakon felt inebriated by the heat around them. He asked Ameqran how come the dwarfs living here weren't affected by the heat. Ameqran said that it was because of their oath they made to the Red One. Once a god, his power waned after the other gods ate his body to nourish themselves; the only thing that reminded was his male organ that was cast down from the heavens and landed in the ocean where it became the island with a massive volcano, which constant eruptions slowly formed the island around it. The blood of the red god runs through the veins of the land, creating vast deposits of minerals the dwarfs use for smithing. The plants and beasts living in the island brim with vitality, and they in turn fill their strong bodies with vast amounts of vigor. Their faith in their god also gives them strength and durability beyond the capabilities of their own kin. Hakon believed this, remembering watching Padharaic landing headfirst on the ground, only to get a flesh wound. His younger son was more worried about all the seawater that had gotten inside his father's lungs than his head injury. Many come seeking to partake in the island's riches, but the Red One rejects them if they're not humble, sapping their strength away to the point of leaving them dry. Hakon was pondering the thought of actually taking some of the food to see if they could use it to handle the invader's dark hunters. Thoughts of seeing his men increase in size like Ameqran were clouding his judgment when suddenly they stopped at a large, darkened corridor. A peculiar scene unfolding in front of them.

Ameqran: “Ah, Kjell, Yusuf, I'm happy to see you two in good spirits, but next time, be a little more respectful to our guests here. I believe everyone was informed to keep our primal urges to ourselves until they became acclimated to our customs.”

Without interrupting their passionate love making, the two dwarven men apologized, while blaming the other for their current state, and saying they needed a little break, and they would soon return to their labors. Ameqran laughed it off and asked them if Alford was still melting scrap metal to which both responded with a yes. Leaving the lovers behind, Ameqran kept on moving past them and told Hakon and his men to follow him. Inhibitions had been shattered as the humans tried their best to ignore what had just happened. Hakon was now seriously worried. Imagining Prince Alford in such an environment was beyond Hakon's wildest scenarios, in his mind, he somehow still imagined the sensitive and demure young man to be at the end of the corridor. But once they arrived at the furnace room, and Amaqran called Alford's name, all what Hakon had learned from Zamir about the royal family’s bloodline and what Ameqran said about this place and the people living in it finally sank in. Inside the room, blocking a good part of the giant furnace was a massive shadow of a colossal muscular man.

Prince Alford?: “Oh, Ameqran. Are those two done with their break? I could use some help here; I'm getting hungry.”

The giant said as he easily carried a large iron plate with ease. His deep voice echoing in the cavernous room.

Ameqran: “Knowing those two, it's going to take them a while. But it's fine boy, we have visitors. So, you mind putting that down.”

Alford tossed the large chunk of metal with ease as he fully turned to face Hakon and his group. The old captain was speechless. In front of him was the once delicate Prince now turned into a hulking brute. The timidness was gone, replaced by extreme confidence. While Hakon was impressed with the dwarven physique, the prince's took his breath away. The sheer proportions were outlandish. The width of his back and shoulders could easily sit four grown men and his massive arms were easily bigger than a lot of them. The hands alone could crush skulls like grapes. The the thickness of his pectorals could break a sword in two, and anyone trying to punch his abdomen would break their hand. Everything was carried by a pair of redwood wide legs. So tall that Ameqran looked to be child's height next to him. But the future Hakon was focusing the most was his face, held proudly by his powerful neck. He looked just like his father King Arvid, but his unkempt appearance made him look even manlier. The prince also had his mother's eye color; a cerulean blue that one could stare at in awe for ages. Hakon was transfixed, his desire palpable for everyone in the room to see. His men were also looking in awe at the prince's current body, just not the way their captain was. Ameqran smiled widely, it seemed the heat had finally affected the proud and resilient man. Alford gave the dwarf a questioning look.

Alford: “Hey, Ameqran, I believe I broke your client.”

[Ameqran: “Oh, they in fact came to see you. Remember the visitors everyone was talking about?”

Alford: “Oh, so these are them?”

Ameqran gave a confirming nod to the giant. While most of the details had been kept secret from Alford, he somehow felt like he knew the older man staring at him like a lost cub. The longer he kept on staring at him, the more he felt a fire stirring with him. Advancing towards the entranced man and pinning him with his chest against the nearby wall. He looked at him with curiosity and desire. Something was urging him to be with him. Ameqran caught a whiff of the situation and got the rest of the captain’s squad with him. A rather easy endeavor, given how everyone was utterly drunk due to the heat and all the testosterone in the air.

Ameqran: “Try to be gentle, kid. Men his age might be tough but this one seems more than ready to give himself to you.”

The dwarf’s advice fell on deaf ears as the giant’s focus was solely on his visitor. With hands already feeling his muscles, Ameqran closed the doors behind him.

Alford: “So, you came looking for me. Well, here I am. I don't know why, but I feel like I've been waiting for you for the longest time.”

Hakon was too busy trying to keep his breathing steady to even know what was happening. So when he least knew it, he was getting carried away in the prince's hulking arms. Jeers and cheers could be heard in the background from other dwarfs around the place. The captain didn't know if he was burning with shame or desire. He was on a mission, he needed to bring the prince back home. There was so much to do and so little time… but perhaps all that could wait, just for tonight. There will be time for regret tomorrow.